124 research outputs found

    Metabolic and molecular events occurring during chromoplast biogenesis

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    Chromoplasts are nonphotosynthetic plastids that accumulate carotenoids. They derive from other plastid forms, mostly chloroplasts. The biochemical events responsible for the interconversion of one plastid form into another are poorly documented. However, thanks to transcriptomics and proteomics approaches, novel information is now available. Data of proteomic and biochemical analysis revealed the importance of lipid metabolism and carotenoids biosynthetic activities. The loss of photosynthetic activity was associated with the absence of the chlorophyll biosynthesis branch and the presence of proteins involved in chlorophyll degradation. Surprisingly, the entire set of Calvin cycle and of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathwaypersisted after the transition from chloroplast to chromoplast. The role of plastoglobules in the formation and organisation of carotenoid-containing structures and that of the Or gene in the control of chromoplastogenesis are reviewed. Finally, using transcriptomic data, an overview is given the expression pattern of a number of genes encoding plastid-located proteins during tomato fruit ripening

    Current challenges in postharvest biology of fruit ripening

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    This paper reviews the recent advances in the understanding of the fruit ripening process and describes future challenges. Fruit ripening is a complex developmental process which is orchestrated by the expression of ripening-related genes under the control of a network of signaling pathways. In climacteric fruit components responsible for the production of climacteric ethylene have been identified. Less progress has been made on non-climacteric fruit. Great advances have been made in the characterization of transcription factors (ERFs, RIN, etc...) that induce gene expression through the binding to their promoters. Genetic resources, genome sequencing and “omics” tools have been developed bringing a huge amount of data that will help to draw together an integrative network of regulatory and signaling pathways responsible for triggering and coordinating the ripening process. The discovery that some ripening events are controlled at the epigenetic level and, not in relation with the DNA sequences, opens novel perspectives

    Evaluation of aluminium tolerance in grapevine rootstocks

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    Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major worldwide agricultural problem. At low pH, Al speciates into the soluble and phyto-toxic form Al3+, inhibiting the root growth and affecting plant development. In Brazil, agriculture in acidic soils with elevated concentration of Al has significantly increased in the last decades. Therefore, in order to achieve efficient agriculture practices, the selection of plant cultivars with improved Al resistance has become crucial in this type of soils. In this work we have evaluated the Al resistance of six genotypes of grapevine rootstocks. The grapevine hardwood cuttings were grown in nutrient solution in the absence and presence of 250 and 500 μM Al at pH 4.2. The phenotypic indexes of relative root growth, fresh and dry root weight, root area, hematoxylin staining profile, and Al content were evaluated for all six genotypes. These phenotypic indexes allowed us to identify the 'Kober 5BB', 'Gravesac', 'Paulsen 1103', and 'IAC 766' grapevine rootstocks genotypes as the ones with the highest resistance to Al. Likewise, 'IAC 572' and 'R110 genotypes were the most Al-sensitive cultivars. We evaluated the root organic acid exudation profile in the most Al-resistant ('Kober 5BB') and most Al-sensitive ('R110') in plantlets cultivated in vitro in the absence and presence of 100, 200, and 400 μM of Al. Among several compounds detected, citrate was the only organic acid related to the Al resistance phenotype observed in the 'Kober 5BB' genotype. The high constitutive citrate exudation observed in 'Kober 5BB' strongly suggests that exudation of this particular organic acid may impart Al-resistance/amelioration in grapevine.

    Physico-chemical composition of wine grapes berries in summer and winter growing seasons

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    Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial de maturação das cultivares Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay e Sauvignon Blanc submetidas ao regime de dupla poda, em Cordislândia, região cafeeira do sul de Minas Gerais. As plantas foram submetidas a dois ciclos de produção, um de primavera-verão, compreendido entre agosto e janeiro, e outro ciclo de outono-inverno, entre janeiro e julho. Como parâmetros de qualidade, foram avaliados os diâmetros transversal e longitudinal da baga, acidez, ácidos tartárico e málico, pH, sólidos solúveis, antocianinas, fenólicos totais e os teores de glicose, frutose e sacarose. Todas as variedades apresentaram maiores teores de pH, sólidos solúveis, açúcares, antocianinas e fenólicos totais, e redução nos diâmetros transversal e longitudinal na safra de inverno. A cultivar Syrah destacou-se das demais no conteúdo de antocianinas e fenólicos totais tanto no verão quanto no inverno, entretanto apresentou o menor conteúdo de açúcares. A alteração do ciclo de produção da videira através da técnica da dupla poda para colheita, no período de inverno, na região cafeeira de Minas Gerais, favorece a maturação dos frutos e melhora consideravelmente a qualidade das uvas para vinificação.This work aimed to evaluate some ripening parameters of cultivars Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc submitted to the double-pruning management in Cordislândia, in the coffee region of the south of Minas Gerais State. Grapevines were cultivated in two different growing seasons, spring-summer from August to January and autumn-winter from January to July. Quality parameters such as berry transversal and longitudinal diameters, acidity, tartaric and malic acids, pH, soluble solids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, glucose, fructose and sucrose were evaluated. All cultivars showed higher pH, soluble solids, sugars, anthocyanins and phenolic compounds levels and lower transversal and longitudinal diameters in winter cycle. Syrah cultivar pointed out with higher anthocyanin and phenolic compounds levels in summer and winter cycles however showed lower reducing sugars levels in must. The alteration of the production cycle through double-pruning management in order to harvest grapes in the winter in the coffee region of Minas Gerais favours the ripening of the fruits and improves the quality of wine grapes.(FAPEMIG) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas GeraisConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

    Comprehensive Profiling of Ethylene Response Factor Expression Identifies Ripening-Associated ERF Genes and Their Link to Key Regulators of Fruit Ripening in Tomato

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    Our knowledge of the factors mediating ethylene-dependent ripening of climacteric fruit remains limited. The transcription of ethylene-regulated genes is mediated by ethylene response factors (ERFs), but mutants providing information on the specific role of the ERFs in fruit ripening are still lacking, likely due to functional redundancy among this large multigene family of transcription factors. We present here a comprehensive expression profiling of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ERFs in wild-type and tomato ripening-impaired tomato mutants (Never-ripe [Nr], ripening-inhibitor [rin], and non-ripening [nor]), indicating that out of the 77 ERFs present in the tomato genome, 27 show enhanced expression at the onset of ripening while 28 display a ripeningassociated decrease in expression, suggesting that different ERFs may have contrasting roles in fruit ripening. Among the 19 ERFs exhibiting the most consistent up-regulation during ripening, the expression of 11 ERFs is strongly down-regulated in rin, nor, and Nr tomato ripening mutants, while only three are consistently up-regulated. Members of subclass E, SlERF.E1, SlERF.E2, and SlERF.E4, show dramatic down-regulation in the ripening mutants, suggesting that their expression might be instrumental in fruit ripening. This study illustrates the high complexity of the regulatory network connecting RIN and ERFs and identifies subclass E members as the most active ERFs in ethylene- and RIN/NOR-dependent ripening

    Altitude influence on the quality of 'Chardonnay' and 'Pinot Noir' grapes in the state of Minas Gerais

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    No Sul e Sudeste brasileiros, o excesso de chuvas durante o período de maturação afeta negativamente a qualidade dos vinhos tintos. Por outro lado, estas regiões possuem potencial para a elaboração de espumantes, uma vez que, para a elaboração desta bebida, a uva é colhida antes de completar o amadurecimento. No Estado de Minas Gerais, as condições de verão chuvoso estão presentes em todas as regiões de potencial vitícola, e a variação de altitude entre elas pode exercer influência na composição das uvas. Desta forma, este estudo buscou avaliar o potencial de maturação de uvas 'Chardonnay' e 'Pinot Noir' destinadas à elaboração de espumantes em dois locais de Minas Gerais: Cordislândia (873m) e Caldas (1.150m). As plantas foram enxertadas sobre 1.103 Paulsen e conduzidas em espaldeira. Foram avaliados os teores de sólidos solúveis totais, acidez total, ácidos málico e tartárico, e pH do mosto, tamanho e massa das bagas, compostos fenólicos nas cascas e sementes, antocianinas na casca e açúcares solúveis nas bagas, em duas safras consecutivas. As bagas apresentaram maior tamanho e massa quando cultivadas em Caldas. As uvas colhidas em Cordislândia apresentaram maior grau de maturação, sendo observados maior pH, maiores teores de glicose e frutose, e quantidade inferior de acidez e fenólicos totais nas sementes. Os maiores teores de ácido málico presentes nas uvas provenientes de Caldas sugerem que esta região pode ser mais indicada à produção de uvas para elaboração de vinhos espumantes.In the southern and southeastern of Brazil, the excessive rainfall during the maturation period negatively affects the quality of red wines. On the other hand, these regions have great potential for the development of sparklings since that for the elaboration of this drink, the grape is harvested before complete its maturation. In the state of Minas Gerais, the conditions of rainy summer season are present in all regions of grape production potential, and the altitude variation between them influence on the grapes composition. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the potential for maturing of the grapes 'Chardonnay' and 'Pinot Noir' which are designated for the preparation of sparklings in two locations of Minas Gerais: Cordislândia (873m) and Caldas (1150m). The plants were grafted on 1103 Paulsen and conducted in trellis. It was evaluated the contents of total soluble solids, total acidity, malic and tartaric acid, and pH of the wort, size and mass of the berries, phenolic compounds in the peels and in the seeds, anthocyanins in the peels and soluble sugars in the berries in two seasons in a row. The berries had higher size and mass when grown in Caldas. The grapes harvested in Cordislândia presented a higher maturity degree, and it was observed a higher pH, higher levels of glucose and fructose, and a lower amount of acidity and total phenolic content in the seeds. The highest levels of malic acid present in the grapes of Caldas suggest that this region may be more appropriate for the production of grapes which are used for making sparklings.FAPEMIGCNP

    Multifaceted roles of nitric oxide in tomato fruit ripening: NO-induced metabolic rewiring and consequences for fruit quality traits

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    Nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated as part of the ripening regulatory network in fleshy fruits. However, very little is known about the simultaneous action of NO on the network of regulatory events and metabolic reactions behind ripening-related changes in fruit color, taste, aroma and nutritional value. Here, we performed an in-depth characterization of the concomitant changes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit transcriptome and metabolome associated with the delayed-ripening phenotype caused by NO supplementation at the pre-climacteric stage. Approximately one-third of the fruit transcriptome was altered in response to NO, including a multilevel down-regulation of ripening regulatory genes, which in turn restricted the production and tissue sensitivity to ethylene. NO also repressed hydrogen peroxide-scavenging enzymes, intensifying nitro-oxidative stress and S-nitrosation and nitration events throughout ripening. Carotenoid, tocopherol, flavonoid and ascorbate biosynthesis were differentially affected by NO, resulting in overaccumulation of ascorbate (25%) and flavonoids (60%), and impaired lycopene production. In contrast, the biosynthesis of compounds related to tomato taste (sugars, organic acids, amino acids) and aroma (volatiles) was slightly affected by NO. Our findings indicate that NO triggers extensive transcriptional and metabolic rewiring at the early ripening stage, modifying tomato antioxidant composition with minimal impact on fruit taste and aroma.This work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (grants 2018/16389-8, 2016/04924-0, 2017/17935-3 and 2016/01128-9), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (grants 422287/2018-0, 305012/2018-5, 303332/2019-0 and 300986/2018-1), and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. The research work of FJC and JMP is supported by a European Regional Development Fund cofinanced grant from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2015-65104-P and PID2019-103924GB-I00), Spain

    Fruit composition of 'Niágara Rosada' and 'Folha-de-Figo' grapevines under different training systems

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    RESUMO Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência do sistema de condução na qualidade de bagas de uvas 'Niágara Rosada' e 'Folha-de-Figo' cultivadas em Caldas-MG. Foram avaliados a produção por planta, o diâmetro, a massa, o teor de potássio e a temperatura das bagas, pH, teor de sólidos solúveis, açúcares redutores, acidez total e ácidos orgânicos do mosto, compostos fenólicos nas cascas e sementes, e antocianinas. As plantas foram conduzidas em espaldeira, lira, latada ou cordão simples, e os frutos, avaliados nas safras de 2006 e 2007. As videiras de 'Niágara Rosada' cultivadas em latada e 'Folha-de-Figo' em lira apresentaram produção significativamente superior aos demais sistemas de condução. Em todos os casos, as bagas apresentaram temperatura inferior à ambiente, indicando sombreamento completo ou parcial dos cachos. No sistema latada, houve menor acúmulo de sólidos solúveis e açúcares redutores nas duas cultivares. Estes resultados preliminares indicam que a composição das bagas foi pouco influenciada pelo sistema de condução.ABSTRACT This work aimed on evaluating the influence of training systems in berries composition of 'Niágara Rosada' and 'Folha-de-Figo' grapevines grown in Caldas, MG. Yield per plant; diameter, weight, temperature and potassium content of the berries; pH, soluble solids, reducing sugars, total acidity and organic acids of the must; anthocyanins and phenolic compounds of the skins and phenolic compounds of the seeds were evaluated in grapevines training in vertical shoot position, lyre trellis, pergola Veronese or simple string in 2006 and 2007 seasons. 'Niágara Rosada' and 'Folha-de-Figo' grapevines training in pergola Veronese and lyre trellis, respectively, showed higher yield than the other training systems under study. Berries grown under the four different training systems were cooler than ambient temperature, resulting from partial or deep shade clusters. Berries harvested from pergola Veronese trellis system showed lower soluble solids and reducing sugars levels in both cultivars. These preliminary data show that training systems exerted little influence on berries composition.FAPEMIG e CNP

    Simulação da produção de etanol como combustível

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    Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Química, 2016.A crescente demanda por novas fontes energéticas, aliada às pressões socioambientais por uma cultura produtiva menos agressiva ao meio ambiente tem contribuído para o desenvolvimento e incentivo à busca de fontes renováveis. Nesse contexto, a produção de etanol hidratado como combustível, a partir da canadeaçúcar, se destaca por ser um processo bastante conhecido e estudado, uma alternativa ao uso de derivados do petróleo. Em razão da sua importância econômica no cenário brasileiro e mundial, nesse projeto de graduação, a partir da utilização do software de simulação ASPEN HYSYS ® , fezse a modelagem e simulação de um processo industrial voltado a produção de etanol hidratado a partir do caldo oriundo da cana, previamente tratado e livre de impurezas. Esse trabalho foi dividido em 4 áreas: etapa anterior à Fermentação, etapa de Fermentação, etapa posterior à Fermentação e etapa de Destilação. Em cada uma dessas etapas, deuse maior ênfase às operações unitárias mais importantes do processo. Além disso, alguns equipamentos foram destacados conforme a sua função para o processo como: o biorreator na etapa de Fermentação e a coluna de destilação convencional na etapa de Destilação. Para o primeiro, utilizouse os parâmetros mais usualmente encontrados na literatura, necessários para o projeto do reator do tipo mistura perfeita ou CSTR. Já para a coluna, foi realizado um estudo de otimização econômica buscando a melhor relação taxa de refluxo em função do número de pratos teóricos. A quantidade de pratos que possibilitou menor investimento total, considerando o recipiente torre, pulmão separador, caldeira, condensador e bomba de refluxo foi igual a 20. A configuração de 4 colunas de destilação: uma convencional de 20 pratos, duas extrativas com 15 e 27 pratos e uma para a recuperação do solvente etilenoglicol é a mais aceita atualmente nos processos industriais.Current demand for renewable sources of energy is associated to social and environmental concerns, aiming the reduction of massive pollutants production from different energetic resources derived from oil. In this context, the use of hydrous ethanol from sugarcane has been developed in diverse studies as a notorious alternative fuel supply. A propos to economic circumstances internationally and in Brazilian’s scenario, this undergraduate project refers to the use of modeling and simulation software ASPEN HYSYS ® to design an industrial process of hydrous ethanol from broth of sugarcane, previous preserved and deprived of impurities. The description of this project consists on emphasising unit operations with most relevant processes achievements in 4 different areas: prior stage Fermentation, Fermentation process, posterior stage Fermentation, and Distillation process. Additionally, the project draw attention to different functions of several equipment , for instance, the bioreactor in the Fermentation process, and the conventional column in the Distillation process. As regards to the first, most usual parameters in literature were considered as fundamental for the CSTR reactor design. Visàvis for the distillation column, an economic optimization study were realized correlating the reflux ratio and number of theoretical stages. The total amount of number of stages with most suitable cost reduction was equally to 20, including a tower recipient, buffer tank, boiler, condenser and a reflux pump. At the moment, it is widely known that the appropriate configuration comprises 4 distillation columns: one 20 stages conventional column, two extractives 15 to 27 stages column, in addition to one column to recover the ethylene glycol solvent
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